charging

Last time we shared how you can significantly prolong your iPhone 6's battery life without gimmicks or accessories. It all boils down to corralling your apps and keeping them under your control, never letting them do stuff without your consent, like access data or incessantly trying to grab your attention. You can do the same for your Android smartphone, with almost exactly the same steps, of course in different places. And we're going to show you how, plus some other steps you might have to take on Android.

Echo's Connect Plus is a "Y"-shaped USB connector with a standard USB connector on one side, and both a micro USB and Apple Lightning connector on each arm. This allows both Apple devices and gadgets that use micro USB to be charged without carrying around separate compatible cables, and the addition of flexibility means it can be re-adjusted and bent to work with different gadgets that might have unusual port placements. In addition, the device is small enough to fit on a keychain, and includes a keychain loop.

If Santa brought you an iPhone for Christmas, you’re likely still in love with your new iDevice. Of all the knocks on any iPhone, battery life is among the most notable, with the small-ish battery of an iPhone tending to need a charge daily. In my experience, though, the iPhone 6 can last quite a bit longer than your work day and commute home. I’ve even been able to take it on weekend jaunts without needing to plug it in. Here’s how.

Tesla is keen to get more charging stations positioned throughout the country, which will allow Tesla owners to charge their cars at appropriate way stations without ever running out of power. With 312 existing Supercharger stations so far, Tesla is on the way to providing a true network of power for their owners. Now Tesla is testing an even quicker method for getting back on the road, allowing Tesla owners in central California to swap batteries instead of plugging in.

Keeping your devices charged can be a hassle, depending on how often you're out and about. Most issues are solved by carrying around a USB cable for those opportune moments when a charging slot is available, but the cable itself is unwieldy. You can go with a spring-loaded charging cable to reduce the bulk, but if you forget to put it back in your bag or grab it before going out, you're back to square one. That is where the new inCharge charger comes in.

Charging cables are cheap enough to lose, but that's beyond the point: they're priceless when lost somewhere a replacement isn't easily obtained, and that makes them a precious commodity at times. It is easy to forget your charging cable, however, and by the time you realize it is back in your hotel room or at the airport, turning around to recover it isn't feasible. You spring for an over-priced replacement from the convenience store or gas station, and after paying a massive markup, the perks of having a cord that shrieks when you forget it begin to look appealing.

For the Android and Windows phone faithful, wireless charging is fast becoming a must-have spec sheet checklist item. If that new phone doesn’t have it, we start to dismiss it as second rung many times. the problem with wireless chargers is that they’re often proprietary, and some chargers kind of work with others, but really don’t. TYLT, a leader in the realm of external battery packs and chargers, has stepped in to bring some foundation to wireless charging with two new products. There’s even a wireless charging cradle for your car!

Well if that isn’t the most mysterious title for an article about a next-generation wireless charging technology, I don’t know what is. The folks at Energous have shared some information this week about their technology "WattUp", a technology that’ll allow you to charge your phone while you walk around your home. Someone adopted their technology, but they can’t say who.

As the number of gadgets you own grows, the hassle of charging them all grows with them. More convenient than toting around a surge protector is the OmniStation from CYSPO, a dual wired and wireless charging station that includes cables for just about every modern gadget you own.

If you’ve got an iPhone, there is a good chance you also have a MacBook. The MagSafe charger on Apple’s laptop offerings is easy to use, leading some to want an iPhone with the same functionality. A recently funded Kickstarter is attempting to bring it to us, and even slaps in a battery pack for good measure.